
Courtney Duncan and DRT Kawasaki sensationally clinched their second consecutive FIM World WMX Women’s Motocross Championship title after an enthralling final round at Pietramurata in northern Italy.
Starting the final round of the series four points shy of the points-leader the twenty-three year old from Dunedin in New Zealand immediately stamped her authority on the event by claiming pole position in Qualifying but her immediate rival for the title parked directly inside Courtney at the start gate for race one and the Kiwi girl found herself on the ground halfway to the first corner as they touched.
Losing twenty seconds to the race leader before turn one, and separated by twenty-six other riders, the Kawasaki girl kept a cool head and started an unbelievable catch-up race; already thirteenth by the end of the opening lap, but continually forced to leave the ideal racing line to make passes, she was third by the end of lap four but the gaps to the girls ahead were enormous as the leaders had enjoyed a free track. Just past half-distance in the twenty-minute-plus-two-lap race Courtney moved into second place but the race leader, at that moment also virtual leader in the points chase, was still twenty seconds ahead. But the girl in Green refused to surrender. Relentlessly closing down her rival she jumped into the final lap on the leader’s rear wheel and swept majestically to the front with a decisive move around the outside at the next turn to hold the inside at the following corner and come home winner by just over two seconds.